Doha, December 07 (QNA) - Speakers at a session titled "Firewalls to Red Lines: Cyber Statecraft in the Middle East" at the Doha Forum 2025 discussed the major challenges facing states as digital transformation accelerates, particularly in critical infrastructure.

They also highlighted the growing risks of narrative warfare and digital disinformation, which can destabilize societies without escalating into direct military conflict.

HE President of the Council on International Mediation (CIM) Sheikh Nawaf bin Mubarak Al-Thani stressed the need to establish joint regional systems for responding to cyber emergencies. He said protecting vital sectors, from airports and energy to banking and healthcare, requires political will and genuine regional cooperation.

His Excellency noted that digitization in the Gulf and the wider Middle East is advancing rapidly and differently across countries, bringing significant benefits but also opening the door to threats as critical infrastructure expands. These developments demand cybersecurity preparedness at the highest level, he said.

He also drew attention to another type of challenges that are less complex technically but more impactful. These are cognitive challenges that target narratives and the manipulation of public opinion.

He considered these challenges to be an extremely effective weapon because it operates without crossing the threshold of military confrontation, yet it disproportionately affects societies in the Middle East.

Rachel Ellehuus, Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and moderator of the session, emphasized the importance of addressing cybersecurity amid a sharp rise in digital threats in the Gulf, including a 70 percent increase in denial-of-service attacks in 2024, with an average cost of $8 million per incident.

Carole House, the US National Security Council special advisor for cybersecurity, said cybersecurity now touches all aspects of modern life, particularly in smart cities.

She warned that ransomware attacks have become the most dangerous form of digital crime, with companies forced to halt operations for up to 21 days after breaches.

House added that unregulated digital currencies are a key factor in financing ransomware and online fraud. She called for regional cooperation, the creation of emergency response centers, stronger cyber legislation, improved data governance, and effective international partnerships with the private sector and technology companies.

Dr. Marc Owen Jones, Associate Professor in Residence, Northwestern University in Qatar, presented an example of coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting Qatar through platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, which spread hate speech and Islamophobia and are managed through complex networks designed to create layers of denial and hinder attribution. (QNA)